


Red Thread

by RomeoandAntoinette



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blended family, Budding Romance, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Family Bonding, Fluff, Invisible Kingdom | Valla, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-08-09 16:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16453205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomeoandAntoinette/pseuds/RomeoandAntoinette
Summary: Corrin, a single mother, moves to the city of Valla with her young son to assume a position as City Manager and escape the political turmoil plaguing her family members in the two larger cities of Hoshido and Nohr. While there, Corrin and Kana meet a cafe owner named Jakob and his son from a previous marriage, Dwyer. As Corrin becomes acquainted with the other residents of Valla and expands her new circle of friends, Corrin and Jakob drift closer and realize they may have more in common than anyone else. [Corrin/Jakob] [Slow Burn AU] [Fluff]





	1. A Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally posted on my Tumblr page [romeo-and-antoinette]. I've edited the typos and rewritten some parts of the fic to make it more readable compared to the previous version.
> 
> I had a sudden surge of creativity to continue this story, so I decided to give it a home here. I hope you all enjoy!

_“Legend states that two people connected by the Red Thread of Fate are destined lovers. The gods tie the thread around the little fingers of two people destined to be soulmates. The couple’s love transcends universes and exists regardless of place or time._

_“The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.”_

“Kana!” Corrin yelled upstairs to her son, who was supposed to be getting dressed for school. The woman knew she needed to continually prompt her son to hurry and get ready. Truthfully, she knew he was probably still in his pajamas and watching television. Her son was a good boy, albeit easily distracted.

Plus, she had a feeling her young son was still a little blue after their recent move. She knew all too well that it couldn’t have been easy for him to leave everything and everyone he’d grown up with behind to move to a new and unfamiliar city.

Before living in the Valla Metropolitan Area, the mother and son duo had resided in the city of Nohr, where Kana had originally gone to school. Moving to the new municipality met that the boy had basically been uprooted from his home and separated from all his friends and even members of his Nohrian family. Frankly, the young woman couldn’t blame the poor boy for feeling stressed. She was an adult and she was still trying to find ways to cope.

If only the move had been the only thing she’d had to worry about, perhaps it would have been easier to adapt.

The young woman hollered upstairs again, her hand cupping her mouth as she called up the stairs of her modest townhouse.

“Hurry downstairs, honey!” she repeated in a slightly louder tone. “You’re going to be late for school!”

When no reply came, Corrin walked to the base of the stairs while reluctantly sliding her heels onto her already sore feet.

She yelled again, “ _Kana!_  By the time I count to three, I want you to be downstairs! Otherwise, you're going to be late for school!”

Silence answered her call.

“ _One…_ ”

A muffled reply answered her call. It sounded like an ‘okay!’ She supposed that was promising enough for now. She’d give him a couple minutes before yelling up again.

The young woman sighed and ran a hand through her flaxen hair as she walked back to her kitchen and took one last swig of coffee. The woman had barely been awake for an hour and had already emptied two cups. It seemed it was going to be one of those days.

She knew being a single mother would have its challenges, but she never imagined how hectic just the simple task of getting out the door in the morning could be.

Corrin had moved to the municipality of Valla to accept the position of City Manager. The young woman had grown up with government ties in Nohr, but had moved to the city of Valla after learning of the nepotism and scandals in her hometown. The rumors had spread like wildfire and, although she’d never held a position of power in Nohr, she was quickly resented amidst allegations of her other siblings began to intensify. She had also been born in the city of Hoshido, and even the legality of her citizenship had been called into question after citizens learned that she was also becoming versed in the realms of law, business and, of course, government.

She’d even heard a rumor that her adoption from the city of Hoshido had been illegally conducted.

Citizens in both Hoshido and Nohr resented her. Even if she did have the education and the credentials to assume a position with any corporation or governmental agency, the existing friction between her family members and politicians made it too risky to return to either place.

As a solution, she’d accepted the attorney’s proposed move to Valla. It was an awkward city that was close to declaring bankruptcy. Her ultimatum had been to move to the city, or face consequences from Nohr and Hoshido.

If she could make a life there, perhaps she could also give her son the childhood he deserved without forcing him unwilling into a world of ongoing political turmoil.

 _I have to give Kana a normal life_ , Corrin thought as she finished her coffee and placed the mug in the sink.  _He deserves it so much, especially after what he went through with his father…_

The woman cringed, shuddering against all the violent memories that threatened to assail her. Corrin had left Kana’s biological father out of necessity and had won the tooth-and-nail battle to take custody of Kana. That didn’t mean memories of her former spouse didn’t haunt her still.

Thankfully, the sound of her son’s footsteps awoke her from her daydream and directed her attention towards the corridor, where he was sitting on the bottom step and slipping on his sneakers. Seconds later, the boy bounced up and ran to his mother’s side, wearing casual clothes and sporting a messy hairstyle. The woman sighed at the sight of her son’s unkempt hair and decided to keep her mouth shut.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Kana said. “Mama, you don’t have to walk me to the station. I can get there by myself.”

Any other kid would have made up the excuse to avoid being seen walking with his mother out of embarrassment. Coming from Kana, it was a sincere statement.

“Are you excited?” Corrin asked as she reached for her purse and camel-colored coat. She slipped it on over her narrow shoulders and pulled the lapels taut down her front. “This is your first day of public school, after all.”

“Yep! I don’t have to wear a school uniform anymore,” he said excitedly. Despite his happy tone, she could tell at least part of his enthusiasm was only a façade. “So, um…that’s good.”

His façade was painfully obvious.

“Right,” Corrin replied awkwardly as she averted her gaze from her son temporarily. The woman pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and inhaled deeply. A knife of guilt twisted into her heart, but she knew she was doing the right thing.

“I’m nervous too,” Corrin admitted as she exhaled with a loud _‘whooooosh.’_ Today was also her first day of work at city hall.

“You’re nervous, Mama?” Kana asked in disbelief. “You’re never scared!”

“That’s not true,” Corrin objected with a light laugh as she ruffled her son’s unruly hair. He’d definitely inherited her hair’s wild texture, that much was certain. “It’s my first day at work, so I just have to be brave. Can you be brave too, sweetie?”

He nodded quickly, his eyes lighting up the second the question left his mother’s mouth. “Don’t worry, Mama! I’ll be very good and very brave.”

The young boy retrieved his jacket from the nearby coat rack and pulled it on more clumsily than he would have liked. Corrin saw him struggle and reached down to help her son put his arms through the bulky sleeves.

“So, pop quiz time,” Corrin said as she kneeled to meet her son’s gaze. “How are you going to get home today?”

“I’ll get on the train and then transfer once to get to the station near the school,” he said with a nod. “When I come home, I can either take the train or the bus. There’s a stop a block away from the school, and I’ll take the bus home if there’s a delay for the train. I have the money for the fare if I need it, my metro card…and…”

The boy pursed his lips as he tried to recall the last item. Finally, he said with a burst of energy, “Oh! I also have that index card with your phone number on it in case I get lost!”

“That’s right,” Corrin said, wagging a finger in front of his face before playfully poking the tip of his nose. “If you get lost, be sure to call me as soon as possible. Just in case, I’ll give you some extra change for a payphone.”

As Corrin dug into her purse for some extra change that she’d otherwise probably use for toll booths, the little boy laughed and put a tiny hand on her elbow to stop her from giving him any more money. Payphones were so outdated that it would be pointless to take away change she could possibly use for more practical things anyway.

“I promise, Mama! I won’t get lost!”

* * *

 

Kana was completely lost.

The little boy had gotten to school without a problem and had found it incredibly easy to make friends. Although the classes at his former school had given him a jumpstart on some of the lessons, he was still baffled by some of the lessons taught by his older teacher. The boy didn’t catch his last name because all of the students simply referred to him by his first name, Gunter, much to the man’s chagrin.

Gunter’s irritation aside, Kana enjoyed his class and had even made friends with a younger girl named Midori. They’d played at recess and she had even volunteered to share her history textbook with him after the boy realized he’d forgotten to pack his after getting dressed. He supposed he got what he deserved after spending the entire morning watching cartoons instead of getting ready for school.

Once classes were dismissed, Kana had bid Midori farewell and set off to the train station. At least, that had been his plan.

The craziness of dismissal combined with the unfamiliar cityscape around the school disoriented the boy. Every building looked like the copy of the other. Some shone with a futuristic mirrored aesthetic while others were dull cement lumps anchoring shady street corners. As he continued along the sidewalk away from school, the entire skyline of the city seemed to drop as he unknowingly wandered into the more historic, downtown area.

The boy had circled the block a dozen times and hadn’t been able to locate the bus stop, train station or elementary school again.

After almost half an hour of walking through both safe and risky areas of the city, nothing around the boy looked familiar. None of the shops or stores looked like ones he’d passed on his way to school. Any bus stops he found weren’t on the route he needed to take home, and although he knew he could transfer if he had to, the map was so confusing that he didn't feel safe attempting to board.

Still, it was his best chance.

Kana had been holding back nervous tears for a while, but continued to force them back as he tried to navigate the overwhelming map of intertwining colorful pathways in parts of the city he didn’t even know existed.

Less than a minute later, the boy broke down into tears.

 _“Mama…”_ he wept, thinking only of how disappointed she would be in him.

The boy had no idea that Corrin was already frantic with worry after calling her house and finding nobody home to take the call. She had already abandoned work early and driven to the school to find him, but Kana couldn’t have made it back even if he knew his mother was looking for him.

As he sniffled and tried to wipe his tears with the sleeves of his nylon jacket, he heard the soft ring of a bell a few feet behind him. It sounded like someone was exiting the shop behind the bus stop. Kana turned briskly in an attempt to hide his tears, but the stranger wasn’t fooled.

“Hey kid,” a voice droned lazily. “Um…are you lost? My old man said you can come in and use our phone.”

The blond child turned hesitantly to see the identity of the person who was speaking to him. The stranger was much older than him and appeared to be in high school. His clothes were dark and baggy, and his hair was unkempt.

While Kana was initially put off by his deeply hooded eyes and hunched posture, there was something about the teen that seemed to calm him. Perhaps it was the very small, sincere smile on his face. It wasn’t the expression of someone faking kindness, but rather the smile of someone who was caring and concerned. His mother always looked at him similarly when he cried.

“I…um…” Kana stuttered as he gripped the zipper of his jacket nervously and tugged it back and forth. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”

The teen laughed and nodded. He said slowly, “That’s good. Your parents taught you well.”

“My mom taught me,” Kana corrected timidly. “I can’t find her.”

The teen nodded sympathetically, feigning ignorance as if he hadn’t already pinpointed the vague source of the boy’s distress.

“Sure,” the teen said. “That’s really scary. I don’t blame you for being upset. I’d be scared too if I was lost and my dad couldn’t find me.”

Kana looked at the teen and blinked his eyes slowly. Some of the guilt he felt for getting lost was lifted from his tense shoulders.

“You can come inside the restaurant and use the phone, or we can wait outside and you can call her on my cell phone if that makes you more comfortable. My old man and I just didn’t want you out here and lost by yourself.”

While the neighborhood around them wasn’t specifically unsafe, it certainly wasn’t the place a child should be walking alone. The sun was already falling behind some of the taller monuments and a distinct autumn chill was intensifying alongside the creeping darkness.

“Wait…you guys have a restaurant?” Kana asked quietly, his fear temporarily forgotten as he looked back at the teen with intrigue.

“Well, that might be a stretch,” the teen said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “It’s more like a café I guess.”

Kana followed the teen’s gesture and looked up to see a coffee shop with a variety of pastries in the window. The café was small and cramped like most places in the city, but the windows were nicely decorated with diamond-cut stained glass. The black, mauve and deep mahogany color scheme managed to make the small restaurant look incredibly classy and well-kept.

The words  _“Joker 's Patisserie”_  were written in delicate script on a wooden sign hanging above the door. A small sandwich board also sat near the front door depicting a white rabbit mascot wearing a jester hat. The little creature pointed a cartoonish wand at the drink and dessert specials of the day on the boards.

Kana’s teary eyes popped open to the size of blooming wildflowers. In almost an instant, his sadness was replaced with wonder.

“I wanna use the phone inside!”

If it had been any other occasion, Corrin would have absolutely been terrible at parallel parking.

However, the stakes were high enough that she didn’t overthink the process as she neatly slid between two tightly packed cars a few feet away from the “Joker's Patisserie.”

It had only been about half an hour since she’d originally gotten a call on her cell phone from an unrecognized number. The woman instantly felt hope brim up inside her knowing that it wasn’t a work phone call. Only one person had her number; her son.

The call had started with,  _“Um, hello? My name is Dwyer, and I’m calling to let you know your son, Kana, is okay. We found him lost outside our restaurant. He says that you might be at work right now, but we stay open pretty late so you can come pick him up whenever you can. Our address is…”_

Corrin wrote down the address, thanked the sleepy-sounding teenager, and shoved her phone right back into her coat pocket before restarting her car’s engine and making a beeline for the café. The trip would have been shorter if she hadn’t had to fight city traffic, but it was still better than walking or waiting for a bus. Even if the caller said he was okay, she didn’t want to leave her baby alone in a place with strangers.

He’d probably already had a traumatic day and she wanted to rush to his side as soon as possible.

Upon parking the car and setting the parking brake with a little more force than what was probably needed, she jumped out and ran in her work coat and heels down to the café. She opened the door and instantly ducked inside.

“Kana?”

The inside of the café was decently busy, so her initial call was drowned out by the sounds of customers and the soft sound of bossa nova music coming from over the sound system. The woman looked around and saw two waitresses, one with blue hair and another with pink hair, serving tables and juggling trays of fruity desserts and rainbow-colored drinks.

The interior of the shop was incredibly narrow with a bar on one side and a few tables for seating on the left. She didn’t see her son at any of the booths and looked around for a staff member to talk to. Almost immediately she pinpointed someone behind the counter with long pale hair and neatly pressed clothes. He didn’t look like the sluggish teenager she’d pictured talking to on the phone, but he wasn’t talking to any customers at the moment. She took the opportunity to grab him while he was free and circled the bar to meet him.

“Excuse me,” she said as he turned again to arrange glassware on a shelf behind the bar. “I’m looking for someone.”

The man turned around swiftly to meet her gaze. He certainly didn’t look dangerous or threatening enough to incite suspicion, but he also looked quite older than the individual she had spoken to on the phone.

Suddenly feeling hesitant, she pursed her lips and said quickly, “I spoke to someone named Dwyer over the phone who said you found my son outside your restaurant. Um...are you...?”

“Oh no,” the man said, his voice heavily accented. Corrin realized immediately the man she was speaking to wasn’t the teen she’d spoken to on the phone. Before she could become panic-stricken, he continued, “You spoke to my son, Dwyer. You’re to pick up Kana, correct?”

 _“Yes!”_  she replied breathlessly, hope returning to her eyes. “I did! I would have been here earlier, but the traffic was awful. I’m so sorry, but when I came in, I didn’t see him and…”

The woman realized very quickly that she was babbling in her anxious state and forced herself to calm down as best she could. She continued with more poise, “I’m sorry for not introducing myself. I’m Kana’s mother, Corrin. I work at the City Hall on the corner of 6th and 25th street.”

“Ah, I see,” the man replied with a smile. “My son is watching him right now in the back. Your boy was a little teary, so we thought it would be better for him to calm down somewhere with less noise and people.”

“Oh, thank you,” Corrin said, practically beside herself with gratefulness. Before she could continue, she heard the sound of a door click open and saw her son standing in the doorway to the café’s back area. His eyes were still a little puffy from crying, but otherwise, he looked perfectly fine.

“Mama!” he cried gleefully. The boy bolted so fast across the restaurant that he managed to cross the wide threshold between them in only a few steps. Corrin threw her arms open and pulled him into a tight hug, picking him up and twirling him about. The act caused Kana to squeal with delight. The other customers in the café didn’t seem bothered at all by the sound, but rather looked on with tender smiles and thankful glances that the little boy they’d seen sobbing earlier was now in much better style than before.

The woman dotted his face with kisses and held him close to her heart, which was still racing from anxiety.

“Kana, I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said, using her free hand to push down some locks of hair that were standing up after his aerial rendezvous. “I was so worried.”

“I’m sorry,” Kana said, still holding his mom tightly even after she went to place him back on the ground. “I got lost and tried to find my way home. I should have called you sooner.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Corrin said sincerely as she cupped her son’s face. “We should have practiced the route more. We’ll find a way to get you to and from school where you can’t get lost, okay?”

“Okay,” the boy said with a nod. “I’d like that.”

As the mother and son duo reconciled, Dwyer went into the back to grab Kana’s backpack from where they’d waited in the back. The teen walked up silently and placed the bag beside Kana and Corrin, and stepped back just as carefully as if not to disturb them. The man behind the counter gave his son a thankful nod and went back to polishing glasses nonchalantly.

“Thank you so much,” Corrin said again as she reached out to take Kana’s bag and slip it onto his shoulders. “I can’t thank you both enough.”

“It was our pleasure,” Dwyer said while smothering a yawn. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you, Dwyer,” Corrin said with a laugh. She then turned her attention to the slightly older man behind the counter who had said he was Dwyer’s father. “And thank you too…um…”

“Jakob,” the man replied kindly with a tip of the head. Although his tone was polite, there seemed to be an air of forced disinterest around him now that Kana was safe with his mother. It was as if he was trying way too hard to seem modest. “Please don’t thank me. My son did all the work. I’m just happy he’s okay.”

Kana made a face at Jakob’s indifference. “Mama, Jakob also gave me a lot of tissues and told me about the buses around here so I wouldn’t get lost again. He even gave me a…um, map-thing!”

Kana brandished a glossy tri-fold that had a specific bus route highlighted for easy visibility. Given the crisp state of the paper and the added markings, it was clear to Corrin that Jakob would have had to make a special trip down the block at the nearest large station to acquire it for him. Corrin figured it was also unlikely that a café owner would have such a map on hand.

Jakob blushed a little bit at the boy’s statement and went back to doing some kind of busy-work behind the counter. Even if Jakob didn’t return Corrin’s thankful stare, he certainly noted it.

“Mama, I almost forgot,” Kana said cheerfully. “Dwyer said he goes to high school right down the block from me! He knows the area really well too.” 

“He does?” Corrin asked with a laugh. “What a coincidence. Maybe we’ll have to stop in after school for some snacks soon.”

“Yay!” Kana said, throwing his fists up into the air as she danced around in circles.

“Well, if you both come back, your next order will be on the house,” Jakob replied in response to Kana’s excitement. It seemed that even his cold, semi-introverted nature wasn’t exempt from Kana’s charm. “My son and I run this place, so you’re both always welcome.”

Corrin gave him an appreciative look. Even after all the trouble she must have caused them, they were still kind enough to welcome her back with open arms. The woman made a secret promise to come back after her next paycheck and get a sizable order of food from them. They deserved to be thanked somehow, in her mind.

“Thank you as well, Jakob,” Corrin said with a nod as she softly opened the café door. 

He offered her a soft smile from his position behind the counter. When Kana waved at him, he laughed and waved back to the boy while telling him to 'Be more careful when it gets dark out.' The small act of kindness further cemented her affinity for the mysterious owner.

She hadn’t noticed before due to her panicked state, but he was certainly very attractive. While his handsomeness had registered at the time, she certainly didn’t dwell on it. after all, she'd had much more pressing concerns that had rightly consumed all her available attention at the time.

Now, as he returned her grin and watched her exit the café, she thought that perhaps there would be a reason besides sweets and desserts to return to the quirky little café.

With a lovely smile, she replied, “I’ll remember that.”

With the musical ring of the bell, the door opened and the two ventured out into the autumn evening. 


	2. Sterling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jakob and Corrin have their second meeting in the cafe. Kana and Dwyer learn that they're pretty good study buddies.

As inevitably as the sun rose each and every morning, Dwyer needed strong coffee in order to greet it.

It took him a few tugs to free the coffee pot from it’s cheap, plastic stand to tip it against the rim of his ceramic mug and fill the container to the brim. Struggling to not give in to his frustration and just break the cheap appliance against the wall was becoming more and more of a daily struggle, but he always managed to pull off the feat without casualty.

It also helped that the coffeemaker they had was the only one they could afford. If it broke, it would be very unlikely they’d be able to replace with haste suited to Dwyer’s ongoing love for brewed coffee. Although he knew the instant blend from the dollar store up the street would work in a pinch, it was hardly preferred.

While the teen let the freshly poured cup cool, he filled a vintage kettle with water and set it on the electric stovetop to boil. He removed a tin of breakfast tea from one of the cupboards and set it aside.

As he took a sip of his coffee and let the tea kettle simmer on the stove, he took a moment to cast a look outside the narrow kitchen window. His dark eyes immediately fell on the glowing, jagged skyline.

While it was still an hour or so before dawn, the lights of the city buzzed like they always did. It was still dark enough that he could barely make out the dimmed outlines of the individual buildings around their complex. Every structure seemed to huddle for warmth in one, inky black mass. Blaring car horns created an incessant stream of noise that only seemed to simmer down, but never completely stop. The dull roar of chatter and hasty footfalls was clearly audible even through the paper-thin glass of the window.

It was Dwyer’s favorite time of day. The teen was a big fan of sleeping and napping whenever he had a spare moment, he enjoyed waking before the rest of the city and observing the quiet scenery from the safety of the apartment window. Being a spectator was in his blood, and was most likely something he’d inherited from his more introverted father. There was hardly anything more fun than the rare moments when the two could simple people-watch together. After a busy day at the café, the two always ended the day by discussing the odd types of people than had come through their door in the earlier hours. They only gossiped of people who had dished out rudeness in response to service, but the condition didn’t dwindle the possible people to discuss by a large enough increment for it to really make an impact.

“Good morning,” Jakob droned as he made his way to the kettle on the stovetop, which was starting to whistle urgently. He removed the kettle from the flame.

Without even opening his eyes completely, Jakob grabbed china from the cabinet, set the circular breakfast table, brandished a cup, poured the perfect amount of tea, grabbed cream and sugar from the fridge and placed everything on the table in the same arrangement that he’d set the table for as long as Dwyer could recall from his childhood. He watched the whole routine with amusement that hadn’t faded with age. It was always an interesting sight to see his father function so effortlessly on autopilot.

With poise and grace that didn’t falter even when he yawned, Jakob also pulled a loaf of homemade bread and a rainbow-colored assortment of preserves from the adjacent cabinet. He arranged everything neatly without missing a beat.

Dwyer could have blinked and missed it.

For someone who hated mornings, Jakob was relatively good at them. Downright excellent, if Dwyer was being perfectly honest.

As Dwyer took a seat at the table to start preparing a plate to break his night-long fast, Jakob robotically reached for the tea kettle. The warmth of the metal seemed to snap him out of his bleary-eyed trance.

“Thank you,” Jakob said suddenly, abruptly ending the teen’s trance and forcing Dwyer to refocus his attention.

“Huh?” he asked, blinking away his perplexity.

Jakob gracefully filled a teacup to the rim. The liquid plumed with steam that carried a fragrant, flowery aroma that reminded Dwyer of a garden.

“Thank you for getting the kettle ready,” Jakob replied, answering Dwyer’s unasked question. “It saves time, and I appreciate it.”

“Oh,” Dwyer said, realization washing over him. “It’s…not a big deal. I woke up first and…you literally just set the _entire_ table for breakfast.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Jakob replied curtly, which earned him an ‘I knew you were going to say that’ look from Dwyer.

Before the teen could return the unnecessarily snarky remark with his own, Jakob tossed him an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry. I know you have school to worry about in the morning, after all. You don’t need to do anything. What you do is more than enough. Really.”

Dwyer tilted his head and sighed. His father was such an enigma.

“How about some television?” Dwyer asked as his father took a seat across from him.

As soon as his finger punched the power button in the remote, the screen roared to life with bright graphics and chipper smiles. It was set the city’s weather channel.

 _“Good moooorning Valla!”_ a chipper man with a trendy hairstyle said with such strident loudness that it sounded like an unprompted volume spike from the television.

It was loud enough to grab the attention of both father and son and distract them temporarily from their breakfast.

A brief glance at the television was all it took to make Jakob groan.

 _“How are we all doing this beautiful Monday morning, friends?”_ the enthusiastic man asked the audience, whose replies he obviously couldn’t hear. _“Have you finished shaking out those weekend cobwebs?”_

“Hey, dad,” Dwyer teased while smiling behind the rim of his mug. “It’s your favorite guy.”

Jakob sighed heavily as his lilac eyes focused on the television. “Let’s get this over with.”

The local news had taken a temporary break from its morning coverage to show the weather.

That was normal.

What wasn’t normal was the station’s boisterous, infuriatingly-cheerful meteorologist, named Silas.

The young man wore a blue suit and his pale hair was gelled into a swoop atop his forehead. Oddly enough, Jakob had meant Silas in-person on multiple occasions

The man’s daughter, Sophie, attended the same high school as Dwyer. He also lived nearby in the city’s historic loft district, most likely close to the T.V. station where he worked.

Sophie was just as peppy as her father was, but in Jakob’s opinion, she was much more tolerable. It helped that she was also Dwyer’s girlfriend, and the two made a good match in Jakob’s opinion. Sophie was always warmly welcomed.

Silas was another story.

 _“You know what time it is,”_ Silas said with a charismatic wink on the other side of the screen. After a dramatic pause, he swung his arm in a flamboyant, gung-ho gesture. _“That’s right! It’s time for your early morning weather snapshot with your local ‘Sy, the Weather Guy!’”_

“I wonder what coffee he drinks,” Dwyer remarked. “He’s so energetic. I should ask Sophie.”

Silas continued, _“I’m bringing you our seven-day forecast, so you can all focus on having a wonderful week! We’re going to see a low-pressure system move over the city on Tuesday. Now, that low-pressure system means we may see some showers later this week, so don’t forget to bring your umbrellas. However, those skies should clear up just in time for the weekend! Meanwhile, temperatures will linger around 50 degrees and are going to drop as the sun goes down…”_

“Well, obviously,” Jakob griped as his fingers scrubbed his forehead. “Please turn him down. Just hearing his voice gives me a headache.”

Dwyer readily learned over to crank the volume dial down on their archaic television.

“He is laying on that charm a little too thick,” Dwyer agreed with a half-smirk as he swiveled around in his chair so his elbows could rest on the table. “Yikes.”

“He’s not _laying on_ anything,” Jakob offered as he opted to change the channel to a nature program that was one click over. “That’s the worst part. It’s not an act. He’s just that infuriatingly cheerful all the time.”

Dwyer shrugged and finished his coffee with a refined sip he’d obviously picked-up from his father. Likewise, Jakob took another sip of a robust black tea. The fragrant liquid was flavored with a smidge of cream and absolutely no sugar.

Between them sat a bowl of oranges and a loaf of handmade bread, jellies, and preservatives for additional flavoring. Running a café helped the duo plenty when it came to hearty breakfasts and cooking on a budget.

“Don’t forget to eat before you go to school,” Jakob reminded his son as he heard the teen placed his used mug in the small dishwasher. Dwyer stretched his arms over his head loudly as he walked to his bedroom, which was located just off the postage-stamp-sized kitchen.

“I know,” Dwyer replied. “I’ve got some time. I’ll make some toast and walk.”

“What about lunch?”

The comment drew silence from Dwyer, which caused Jakob to sigh.

“I saw how exhausted you were last night,” he explained seriously. “You never remember to make your lunch after those damned late-night games keep us up all night. The stadium crowds are disgustingly rowdy, after all.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Dwyer recalled with a shiver. Sports fans were either the most fun crowd in the world or a terrifying conundrum depending of in their team had won or lost the recent game. Last night had not been one of many shining moments.

“Plus, I’m sure you had to stay up doing homework,” he said with another sip of tea. He kept his eyes focused on his own, slightly distorted reflection in the tea. “Honestly, I don’t know how you do it all.”

The comment surprised Dwyer to the point where he didn’t know how to reply. It was a humbling sentiment, to say the least. “Um, well, you know. It’s not like that can be avoided.”

Thankfully, his father spoke up again to fill the silence.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ll like it, but I packed you something.”

Dwyer opened his mouth to contend, but snapped it shut after realizing he couldn’t argue. Or, more accurately, that he had no reason to argue. “…Thanks, dad.”

Jakob flashed him a candidly touched gaze, but as usual, immediately hid his emotions with an evasive head turn. His expression was almost immediately eclipsed as he raised the cheap teacup for another sip.

“I don’t like the idea of you starving all day in school,” Jakob admitted. “You’re still a growing boy, after all.”

The soft response drew a knowing smile from Dwyer. His father was absolutely guarded in his emotions, but the little moments let the teen know his father truly cared for him from the bottom of his heart and back.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right,” Dwyer laughed. “Homemade food is so much more filling than what I can get at the convenience store along the way. Then again, I think I got sick of that instant food when we first opened this place.”

Money had been insanely tight after the divorce. Dwyer recalled his dad always worked late nights and sometimes didn’t come home until dawn, but when it came to food, he made sure they never went hungry thanks to the convenience store located up the block. The store’s co-owners, Felicia and Flora, had been beyond sympathetic and had helped them quite a bit.

Nevertheless, Dwyer had a hard time eating instant noodles and other fast-food items without feeling equal parts nostalgia and a wee bit nauseous.

“Wouldn’t blame you,” Jakob replied casually as he flicked open the newspaper to scan the daily headlines. He frowned almost instantly at the sight. “Ugh. More rubbish.”

Dwyer chuckled one last time at his father’s deadpan attitude before finally resigning to the fact that he’d have to head off to school soon. Leaving his father to his own devices, the teen closed himself off in his bedroom to change clothes and get ready for another long day of school and another evening of helping his father manage their café.

* * *

The rest of the day passed slowly in Jakob’s end.

The patisserie saw most of its traffic during the morning, with peak hours running from about 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Customers lined up outside the door on a daily basis to receive pastries and coffee for their morning commute.

The small size of the shop prevented him from getting completely ambushed with work while his son was at school. Saturday mornings, where Dwyer was thankfully available to help, were the absolute worst. The café also filled up in the evenings with patrons that flooded to the small shop following games at the nearby stadium, or for post-work nightcaps.

As soon as the lunch hour passed, most weekday hours ambled slowly until closing time in the evenings. While the business-side of Jakob wasn’t keen on that, the side of his brain dedicated to maintaining his mental health was overly thankful for it.

When the last customer’s payment was cashed, and they meandered out the door happily with a chocolate-filled croissant and lavender-infused latte, Jakob heaved a sigh of relief and went about cleaning the bar and tables.

It was another task that typically took a couple hours, but was almost always put to the occasional pause when a customer poked their head in during awkward hours.

By the time he finished cleaning up after the breakfast and brunch rush, it was early in the afternoon. He could already start to see the sun setting over the slightly hunched skyline of the historic district where his short-apartment hybrid was located.

The man decided to polish up the pint glasses in preparation for the post-work rush.

Then, suspiciously early-on in the shining process, he heard the clear ring of the front door chime.

“Welcome in,” Jakob called from behind the counter. Due to the fact that his eyes and hands had been preoccupied with polishing one of the glasses with a dish towel, he hadn’t actually laid eye on the individual that had entered the restaurant until they were standing across from him at the bar.

At first, Jakob couldn’t see the mysterious customer. He had to peer far over the edge

It was Kana, the young son of Valla’s new city administrator.

“Hey, I know you,” Jakob said as he leaned over the counter to get a better look at the familiar face. “The lost boy –”

The little boy flailed his legs unsuccessfully to try and get a grip to mount one of the bar stools. After multiple attempts to get traction on his sneaker-bottoms against the slippery metal, Jakob extended a hand over the counter to help him up.

With a thankful sigh, the silver-haired boy finally claimed his seat.

“Kana,” he reminded him.

“—Also known as Kana,” Jakob finished. The glass and washcloth were forgotten as he cast them both to the side to talk to the familiar face.

“Hello, Mr. Jakob!” Kana said happily. He removed his arms from beneath the padded straps on his backpack and sat it on the adjacent stool.

“Hello yourself,” he laughed. “What are you doing here? Did you come here all by yourself?”

“I did,” he said proudly. “I found my way here all by myself!”

“Very impressive,” Jakob said with a smile. “So, I take it you’re slowly learning your way around the city?”

“Mmm-hmm!” Kana nodded. “It’s not as hard as I thought it would be. It was hard to read the maps at first, but I just followed all the colors just like you showed me, and it got super easy after that.”

That was beyond reassuring for Jakob to know. He remembered trying to teach his own son how the city’s rail and transport systems worked. It had been quite a process for both. It was scary for a grown adult to be lost in the chaos of the subway tunnels, let alone a child. Hearing the boy was getting around as safely as possible soothed his paternal instinct.

“I’m glad,” he replied happily. He was legitimately glad to hear that the young child was no longer completely susceptible to the city’s confusing subway and bus routes.

“Serious question, Kana,” Jakob said, the tone of his accented voice changing from mischievous to serious in just a few words. “Does your mother know you’re here?”

The question seemed to cause a sudden crack in the boy’s previously confident demeanor.

“Um… _yes?_ ” Kana fibbed obviously.

Jakob tilted his head down and peered at the boy with a skeptical stare. As a father of a teenage son, he was far from unused to deciphering white lies.

“…Fine, she doesn’t know,” Kana relented with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I meant to go straight home after school, but…”

“Did you get lost again?” he followed-up curiously. “I thought you said you were getting the hang of things.”

“Oh, I’m not lost,” Kana quickly correctly, his chipper smile returning almost instantly. He gestured to his backpack where, tucked away in one of the pockets, was the map Jakob had given him days before. The man shot Kana a confused glance, and he elaborated promptly in his usual, cheery singsong.

“I wanted to come here!” Kana admitted gleefully. “I really like this place, and Mama isn’t usually home until later. She has to work late tonight because of some new…um, district-rezoning projects. She also had to upload the agendas for the city council meeting this week, and apparently, they like to change things at the last minute a lot.”

Jakob blinked slowly. Many of the details went over his head, but judging from how familiar and comfortable Kana seemed with he vocabulary, he assumed the late-night sessions were an unfortunate reoccurrence in the household that was neither his or his mother’s fault.

It was something he was quite familiar with.

Kana continued, “There aren’t any other kids around where I live, so I thought…I could come and talk to you.”

It was an innocent enough act. Jakob even found himself thinking the admission was cute, but something much more serious didn’t allow him to get swept up in Kana’s charming exhibition.

“Kana, you shouldn’t go to places with strangers without letting your mother know where you are,” Jakob said with a gentle tilt of the head.

“But you aren’t a stranger!” Kana argued. To him, the distinction was simple. “You and Dwyer helped me. Mama knows who you are too.”

“Nonetheless…” Jakob said in a soft voice as he went to dig his cell phone out of his apron pocket. “…I’m going to call your mother and let her know you’re here.”

The boy’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait, are you mad at me?”

…Mad? That was a weird jump in logic, even for a child of Kana’s age. Jakob furrowed his brow quizzically at the trembling boy, who was staring up at him with slightly scared eyes, rimmed with redness that threatened to turn to tears.

Sensing the waterworks were close to flooding-over, he turned on his charm and offered the young boy a soft smile. He lowered his posture until he was leaning low enough on the counter for the two of them to see eye-to-eye. Then, he extended a hand and ruffled his mane of mussed, pale blonde hair. It was a wild style that reminded him of the somewhat unkept way Dwyer wore his hair.

“No, I’m not angry,” Jakob told him sincerely. “But you shouldn’t go places without your Mama knowing. You’re still young, and the city is big. We’re going to call her and tell her you’re here. If she says that’s okay, then we know. You’re always welcome here, but I need to make sure you have your mama’s permission.”

The gentle words soothed Kana’s worry. “…Okay.”

He didn’t sound convinced.

“I promise I’m not mad,” Jakob added with a light laugh. “Here, I’ll call your mother and let her know right now. In the meantime, do you want anything to drink or eat? I did promise you and your mom that I’d serve you both on the house last time, right?”

The kind tone and welcome offer of food, which caused Kana’s stomach to growl audibly, played a great part in lowering the sudden wall Kana had seemingly erected in front of him.

“Oh, um… thank you very much,” Kana said politely. He even tipped his head as Jakob, as if he was greeting him as some kind of formal event, like a ball or gala.

Jakob slid the boy a menu with the same professional flair that he would treat an adult customer with. “Take your time.”

While the young boy skimmed over the wide array of sweets and drinks, Jakob quickly searched for the phone number to the city hall on his phone. When the desk attendant answered the call, he asked to speak to the city administrator. The bored-sounding clerk put him on hold for a moment.

Then, a second later, the line was picked up.

 _“Hello, this is Corrin,”_ the voice drawled robotically from the other end of the receiver. She sounded a little flustered, as if she was busy.

“Hello, it’s me, Jakob,” he said. When a few seconds of silence followed, he felt obligated to add gracelessly, “Um, Jakob from the bakery. I’m sorry to disturb you.”

 _“…Oh!”_ she said suddenly, the epiphany clicking. _“Yes, of course! I’m so sorry. Um…what can I do to help you?”_

Before Jakob even had the opportunity to open his mouth, he heard her inhale deeply and suddenly on the other end. _“Wait a sec. Let me guess. My son, instead of going home, came back to your café. Right?”_

He grinned despite himself. She was incredibly smart.

…Well, that made sense. She was a city administrator, after all. No doubt she was an expert at drawing fast conclusions from limited amounts of provided information. She was a civil servant after all, and living on the fringe of limited feedback and last-minute change was routine for a government employee.

“He’s sitting at the bar right now,” he confirmed as he leaned against the tabletop, arms folded and his pose casual.

 _“I’m so sorry about that,”_ she apologized. _“I had a feeling he might want to go back. You know, he talked about how fun it was to hang out with Dwyer and you for hours after we got home. I told him we’d go back together, but…”_

“I’m honored,” Jakob responded sincerely. “I’m pleased to hear that. Also, please don’t apologize. I just wanted to make sure you knew where he was. He’s welcome to stay until you’re off work and ready to pick him up.”

 _“I really appreciate that,”_ Corrin replied. He heard the distinct sound of shuffling paperwork and slamming doors behind her voice _. “Honestly, if you don’t mind, that would be a lifesaver. I should be out in a few more hours. Definitely before dark. Are you sure you don’t mind?”_

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have asked,” Jakob said simply. “Unless your boy is a rowdy troublemaker, I think we’ll be fine. His behavior has been sterling so far.”

 _“…He is a good boy,”_ Corrin confirmed proudly. Just from her tone, he could practically hear the smile behind her sentiment. _“Alright, I’ll take you up on your offer.”_

The two agreed to the arrangement, with Corrin again insisting again that she would be there as soon as possible and to let Kana know she would pick him up. Of course, he agreed and told her there was no rush.

“Oh, by the way, I was going to offer him something to drink or eat while he waits,” Jakob said. “Is that okay with you? I wasn’t sure if he had any allergies either.”

 _“Oh, that’s sweet of you to think of,”_ Corrin said. _“Thank you for asking. No, he doesn’t have any allergies or any other dietary restrictions to worry about. Anything should be okay, but…”_

Corrin hesitated just a moment.

 _“…But, when it comes to giving him food and a drink, less sugar is always better,”_ she stuttered out. _“You understand, right?_

Jakob laughed. Sugar would be counter-productive for a young child’s focus so late in the afternoon. It certainly wouldn’t make bedtime any easier as well, and with school early the next day, the struggle would be arduous. He remembered those days all too clearly. “Sure, sure. Duly noted.”

 _“You’re the best,”_ Corrin said. _“I’ll be by later. Again, thank you so much!”_

“No problem,” he added. “I’ll see you then.”

The line went dead a second later, and Jakob placed the phone back into the harlequin-printed pocket of his apron. Promptly, he turned back to Kana and retrieved a small golf pencil and paper pad from his other pocket.

However, when he saw the boy staring at the menu with blank eyes, Jakob put the writing instruments away and saunter over to Kana. He leaned against the counter casually and said, “Silly me. I forgot to explain our specials for today. We have juice to drink, and today's special is a sugar-free apple tart. It’s very popular this time of year.”

The suggestion caused another growl to erupt from the boy’s stomach.

It took no time for Jakob to grab a juice carton and a small tartlet from the bakery display window. With a little sprinkle of cinnamon, he passed the dish and a tiny fork to Kana.

After just one bite, the boy was hooked. One bite turned to two, then three, then five, and then ten. In record time, the tart was demolished, and the boy moved onto sipping his juice with a satisfied grin on his face.

As Kana continued to drink his juice and hum pleasantly to himself, Jakob kept an eye on him while simultaneously tending to the restaurant. Between transactions, the two made small talk and Jakob even showed the boy some of the more curious-looking desserts in the cabinet. He pointed out desserts like baklava and beigli and even chia pudding, which Kana opted not to try personally.

About half an hour passed before another familiar face entered the café.

As Dwyer came through the front door and pulled down his hood, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of Kana at the counter.

“Woah, hey there,” the teen said with a smile. His clothes were as loose and casual as they’d been the day the two boys had first met. The teen dressed like a refugee from an all boy’s school more than a regular high school student, but it didn’t seem to bother Kana.

“Hey, Dwyer!” he said with a wave. He abandoned his empty juice package at the counter as he raced over to him.

“What are you doing here?” Dwyer asked. “Were you talking with my old man? Wow, I’m surprised you didn’t fall asleep from boredom.”

Jakob gracefully ignored his son’s jab in favor of tending to the bar, wiping down the counter, and disposing of the empty container in the trash.

“His mother is coming over,” Jakob told his son from behind the counter. “Perhaps you would be more entertaining company.”

“More entertaining than you?” Dwyer asked with a snort. “I think I can manage that. Hey, Kana, do you have any homework to work on?”

“Um…I have some,” the boy said, suddenly looking a little more apprehensive than before.

Dwyer laughed at his sudden change in tone and said, “Hey, homework is important. C’mon, the booth near the pack has a power outlet. I’ll plug in my laptop, and we can work on our homework together. That way, you won’t have to worry about doing it when you get home.”

When he phrased it like that, the boy’s apprehension dissolved as quickly as it had come on.

“Will you help me with history?” Kana asked, suddenly much more open to the idea that he was before. 

“I can certainly try," he agreed amicably. "But only if you help me with my homework too.”

Kana agreed with an energetic fist-bump into the air. “Yeah! I can do that! I’m really good at math and language arts!”

As Kana and Dwyer went off to study near the back of the restaurant, Jakob tended to some customers that had popped their heads in during the dinner rush. He mostly poured glasses of beer and fetched cups of coffee. Occasionally, he had to fetch a pastry or pre-made meal from the café’s humble display case. While the patisserie, specialized in the area of sweets, the evening patrons tended to demand coffee or liquor over scones and tartlets.

After about half an hour, the hustle and bustle died down a bit.

The silver-haired man was in the middle of stretching away some pent-up stiffness in his arms when the front door opened. Instead of the usual salaryman or elderly couple that stopped by after sunset, a young woman in a navy suit and camel-colored coat slinked inside.

“Ah, welcome,” Jakob greeted, finished his stretch before meeting the woman halfway.

Corrin offered him a paper-thin smile. It was a fake emotion, but rather, a forced expression. While Jakob barely knew Corrin, it was as clear as day that the woman was almost completely drained of energy. Then, her expression changed to one of sincere joy when she spied her young son waving at her from one of the back booths.

“Hey, mama!” Kana called from the other side of a pillowed, marron-colored booth seat.

“Hey there, sweetie,” Corrin replied with a wave. As she drew closer to the bath booth, she then noticed the wide array of notebooks and a pile of books stacked precariously close to the edge of the dining table. The woman let out a long whistle at the impressive sight. “Wow, don’t you look studious! What’s with all books?”

“Dwyer is helping me with homework!” Kana answered. “He’s super smart.”

“He’s lying,” Dwyer said as he poked his head out from the side of the booth seat. “Your son has already corrected my work three times, and he’s been right. He knows more about my studies than my teachers do.”

Kana was practically tickled pink by the flattery, and Corrin was almost as pleased as he was. In fact, the sweet comment caused the crease in her brow to fade. Her slightly pinched expression, no doubt a result of the day’s stress, flattened a smidge at the sight before her.  

“I see,” Corrin said as she stuffed her cold hands into the pockets of her wool coat. “Kana, I’m going to talk to Mr. Jakob at the counter for a bit. Why don’t you both finish just a couple more problems, and we’ll finish the rest at home after dinner, okay?”

“Okay!”

The two instantly sank back into their study routine. While Dwyer appeared to by typing on his laptop, Kana quietly went back to skimming the notes in his textbook before jotting a few of the words in the available blank spaces one a worksheet he was close to completing. It was the least distracted she’d seen her endlessly energetic son work in a long time.

Corrin ambled over to the counter. As her body slinked against the countertop, Jakob offered her a grin and went back to polishing one of the glasses. He had a sneaking suspicion that it would be needed.

“Rough day?” he inquired sympathetically.

She nodded her head, still smiling with resignation as she leaned her head against her palm. “Mmm-hmm. Definitely a stressful day.”

“What can I get you?” he asked her. “It’s on the house, like I promised.”

“…I’ll take a pint of beer, then” she laughed. “I took the bus here from work.”

He nodded at her before turning back to the array of bottles arranged on the shelf behind the counter. “Okay, we have some lighter brews on tap and most of the dark ones in bottles. What kind would you like?”

“Whatever kind is strong enough to chew,” she said, and Jakob couldn’t stifle a laugh. He then covered his mouth apologetically and immediately went to fetch her the pint glass he’s just finished polishing. It seemed his suspicions had been correct.

“I’m so sorry,” he chuckled through a bout of mirth. “I didn’t mean to laugh at your expense. I know you’ve had a rough day.”

Corrin seemed to take the reaction in stride.

“Eh, sometimes laughing is the only thing we can do,” Corrin reasoned. Her unique, almost sanguine-colored eyes continued to linger on him while she spoke. “I mean, comedy is just tragedy that’s had some time to heal. Sometimes laughter is literally the best thing we can do.”

Jakob couldn’t argue with that. Hell, based on his own life experience, he knew she’d pretty much hit the nail on the head. He gave her a nod of solidarity as he filled a pint glass with a darkly-tinted beer. While he skimmed the foam off the top of the glass, she saw her shimmy out of her coat and pool it on the top of the adjacent seat.

“Here you are,” he said as he slid the glass her way. “The darkest brew I have. You can’t chew it, _technically_ ,  but it’ll taste like you’re drinking an entire loaf of bread.”

Her raspberry-painted lips curled into a smirk. “Perfect.”

As she sipped the brew slowly, Jakob went to the pastry case and filled up a foam clamshell with a few of the day’s leftover pastries. He made sure to arrange the box in a way that nothing would be crushed or smashed, with the heavier and denser sweets lining the bottom layer. He also made sure to include plenty of the sugar-free tarts.

As soon as it was filled to the brim, she slid the box down along the counter until it came to a rest a few inches away from her already partially emptied glass.

“Here,” he said. “It’s the leftover sweets from the day. They’ll be good for a few more days if you refrigerate them.”

Corrin almost choked in a long sip she’d been in the middle of taking. After sputtering a bit, she redirected her gaze back at him. “Wait, are you serious?”

Curiosity piqued, she opened the box to peer inside. Sure enough, her eyes went even wider in disbelief as she snapped it shut and shook her head in denial. “No, no, no, this is too much, I couldn’t…”

“I can’t either,” Jakob mourned. “The specials here change daily, so some things end up doing to waste. I just can’t resell some things the next day, even if they’re still good. Besides, your son was a big fan of the tarts.”

She stared back at him. His generosity had rendered her incredulous. “Are you certain? I mean, we’ll definitely eat everything, but…”

“Then it’s a perfect arrangement,” he reassured her as his hands settling his waist. “After taking all the time to make them, I’d rather other people enjoy them.”

The thankfulness she felt was clearly, and ironically, articulated by her absolute loss for words. Corrin closed her eyes and sighed deeply, as if gathering her bearings, before speaking again.

“You, my good sir, have earned yourself an official favor from the city,” she said, snapping upright with sudden energy and pointing one of her manicured fingertips right between his eyes.

“Next time you need help with a zoning requirement or a building permit, call me and I’ll show you the ropes,” she promised. “I’m serious, okay? Call me anytime.”

While the first part of her offer was genuinely helpful and was absolutely something he would remember as a small-business owner, the second half made a little spark of heat ignite somewhere deep in his chest.

“I…will,” he replied slowly. “Yes, absolutely. That’s very generous.”

His enduring formality appeared to amuse her. She unfolded her arms from their defensive criss-cross so she could stretch them across the counter. 

“Jakob, do your other customers here receive the same… _sterling_ treatment as I do?” she asked, giving him a playful wink as he flushed in response to her use of his colorful vernacular.

Obviously noticing the sudden bloom of color across his face, Corrin smirked and took another swig of beer. “You know, Perhaps Kana and I will have to become regulars here, huh? That way, I can actually pay you back for all your kindness. At the very least, the company here is infinitely more pleasant than people at city hall.”

As she went back to drinking the final drops of the dark beer, Jakob found it difficult to hide traces of a soft smile across his face. As he reached over to collect her empty glass, he had to intentionally resist to urge to fidget like a nervous schoolboy while he was in such close proximity to her welcoming smile and thankful gaze.

“I certainly...wouldn't argue with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sitting at my desk wrapping up this chapter on December 24. It's been a long time coming, and I swear I restarted this chapter three different times until I found an opening I liked.
> 
> I'm still so happy and humbled to hear that more people wanted to see more chapters for this fic! I'm sorry this chapter is coming so late in the year, but I hope you guys are having a happy holiday season!
> 
> I'm sending you all hugs and kisses, like always. See you in 2019!


	3. Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new journalist appears at city hall. Corrin and Jakob bond over brunch. Kana and Dwyer discover another shared interest.

Corrin stared ahead blankly out at the crowded council chamber. She could barely see the back windows due to the number of heads that stretched before her.

It was an unusual sight for her. Nohr’s council meetings had never been crowded. Then again, Nohr was also a city of poverty and high crime rates. Despite having more glamorous and shamelessly gentrified areas, there were many problems that prevented residents from making treks to the city hall unless they were absolutely ordered to for coding regulations or court dates. Otherwise, matters were mostly delegated via voicemails and emails.

Going to a government meeting in Nohr was basically like attending a closed session.

She was still getting used to the change in scenery in Valla, where council chamber was always packed. Whether it was the city’s upcoming Planning and Zoning Commission or the Architectural Review Board, every meeting had limited seating available by the time the gavel was swung. Sometimes people even lined the walls.

Lots of elements were different, and yet, the basics were still the same.

Residents in the back.

Reporters in the front.

Same old song and dance. Except the song was screeching violins and the dance was a legless jig.

While Valla didn’t have the issues with economic development or blighted properties that plagued Nohr, Valla had the disadvantage of being a young city. It was new, fresh, and trying to carve out an identity between the metropolis giants of Hoshido and Nohr.

The city’s charter was also young. That meant locals took a stubborn amount of pride in the founding codes, but businesses and other commercial development saw every bureaucratic rung as a hindrance.

When individuals inevitably faltered on the ladder of city government, Corrin had to be there to catch them.

As she was learning, many people didn’t care to be caught.

“Why can’t I build on that corner lot?” a woman in a yellow Chanel suit asked from the speaker’s podium. She smacked a thick stack of paperwork against her knee, causing some audience members to wince. “I submitted an application, and without even a phone call, it comes back with a rejection. Why? The lot is completely undeveloped. There are no existing uses or building codes to speak of! It’s just unused space. What’s the problem?”

From her seat at the dais, Corrin rocked forward and adjusted her microphone.

“As I already explained previously,” she began in her most measured tone, “Our zoning code specifically states that this area of the city is designated as M-1, which is purely for industrial use. Your proposed store is a commercial development and requires C-3 zoning.”

“But it’s completely vacant!” the resident argued from the podium. “There was no previous use! It would be perfect for my business! Plus, since there’s no traffic in the area either, so the impact on pedestrians would be minimal.”

“The reason traffic is low is because it’s an industrial zone,” Corrin repeated. “You’re not going to see the same traffic levels in an industrial area that you’d see in a commercial corridor, where there are stores and businesses, like the one you’re proposing.”

“Okay, so?” she challenged indignantly. A hand locked onto her hip as she tossed her hair back. Corrin knew the stance well. It was a sign that her argument was waning, but her attitude was flaring. “Fine, if zoning is the problem, just change the zoning!”

Some members of the audience nodded in Chanel’s agreement. The other councilmembers shifted in their chairs. Some were bored, and others were uncomfortable. Corrin was somewhere precariously teetering in the middle.

 “May I respond?” Corrin asked the city attorney. When she received an affirmative nod, she peered back at the resident through beaded lashes. It had been a long day, and her cheap mascara was starting to flake off. “If you’d like to change the property zoning, that would need to be taken up with our city Planning and Zoning Commission prior to any form of council approval. That’s in addition to your business proposal, of course.”

Chanel paused a moment to pinch the skin between her eyes. “This. This is absolutely lucrative.”

_Agreed_ , Corrin thought.

The remainder of the meeting dragged slowly before finally concluding hours later, with the public comment section easily taking up half of the agenda’s volume. The evening’s one saving grace was that the legislative portion went smoothly overall. It was a tarnished silver lining that Corrin would gratefully accept.

As residents filed out of the chamber, some grumbling lowly, Corrin grabbed her briefcase and slung it over her shoulder. With her trusty camel-colored coat folded over one arm, she tried to be subtle with her haste as she hurried to the back room. She wanted to check her phone and see if she had any messages from her son, Kana.

Prior to the torture session that many dubbed the ‘city council meeting,’ she had received a call from a local bakery owner that her son has stopped by after school and was having an impromptu study session with his son.

_At least he’s safe and sound_ , she thought thankfully as she entered her passcode and began to thumb through her messages. No updates. Hopefully, that was a good sign.

“Excuse me, administrator?”

She slid her phone back into her pocket with a suppressed sigh. “Yes?”

A man approached her carrying a leather-bound notebook. He appeared to be a few months, maybe a few years, older than her and was donned in a pair of slacks and a dress shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows. An antique Piaget glinted beneath the cheap fluorescent lights.

“I’m sorry to stop you, but I had a couple of questions to ask you about—” he quickly peered down at a color-coded spreadsheet tucked in one of his arms, “—About the city’s zoning codes. One of the women during the public comment section mentioned the industrial zoning of the downtown area, and I wanted to touch base with you quickly for an article I’m writing about some upcoming economic developments in the area.”

She blinked.

“…Who are you?’ she asked with legitimate curiosity. She determined quickly enough that he wasn’t just another resident judging by the formality of his dress code.

“…Oh, I’m sorry!” the man said, laughing sheepishly. “Where are my manners? I’m Kaze. I’m a staff reporter for one of the local papers.”

He reached into the pocket of his shirt and brandished a business card. She took it from his hand and examined it while he continued to talk.

“I just transferred from a PR firm in Hoshido to here, and Valla is my first beat with the publication,” he told her.

“…Really?” Corrin asked, a bemused smile breaking her face. “So, we’ll be suffering through those long city council meeting together every week, huh?”

The man laughed again, this time in earnest. “That seems to be the case. Again, I apologize. I should have led with my introduction first. I didn’t mean to blindside you.”

She shook her head of pale hair, which was still miraculously contained with a clamshell clip that rested at the base of her scalp. She couldn’t wait to take the damned thing out. The pinching sensation from her hair being tugged back for so long was threatening to turn into a tension headache.

“Please don’t apologize,” Corrin said as she opened her briefcase and extended one of her business cards to him in return. “I started at this position not too long ago. It makes perfect sense we haven’t bumped heads until now.”

Her understanding response was received with a thankful grin. “You’re too kind.”

Corrin felt immediate relief. His normalcy was like a breath of fresh air after being submerged beneath the muck of complaints and backlash for an entire evening.

“Now, you said you had questions for an article?” she asked, closing her bag and straightening her back. “I’m ready if you are. Go.”

The entire interview, which was a generous adjective for their expedited conversation, took less than five minutes. He spoke casually, but with an informative slant that left no doubt in Corrin’s mind that he’d done plenty of research. There was a stealthy, covert nature to the way he wove questions together (“Is the city more focused on developing vacant lots or building up new properties?”) that she noted with neutrality. Such finesse of his part could be a double-edged sword on her end.

“Thank you for your time, Corrin,” Kaze said as he tucked his recorder back in his pocket. “I’ll call you if I have any follow-up questions.”

“Please do,” she said with a wave as she turned to leave. “My number is on my card. Have a good night.”

On her way out the door, she took a second to glimpse the name and information on the business card he provided. Sure enough, it read, _“Staff reporter. Valla Tribune.”_

At least she knew there was one sane person in the audience.

Actual silver lining, accepted.

* * *

 

Later in the evening, picking up Kana from _Joker’s Patisserie_ went gone smoothly. Almost too smoothly for what she, a young single mother, was used to. It was a pleasant change of pace compared to the frantic pace of the workday and council meeting prior.

When she’d first arrived, she was even greeted with the sight of Kana and Dwyer huddled over their homework. The two boys looked studious with their stacks of textbooks and deeply bowed heads. Corrin didn’t know about Dwyer, but for Kana, it was the most focused she’d seen her son look in a long time.

Even better, she’d been able to grab a quick beer (something she never expected to find at a destination with the word ‘patisserie’ in the title—he must have been a true gung-ho entrepreneur to get an alcohol license approved) from the prickly but professional owner, Jakob. It had been incredibly nice to take a moment and slow down with some normal conversation. She’d even tossed him a few coquettish comments and had seen a blush bloom on his cheeks in return.

That alone had been a better pick-me-up than any after-dinner coffee would have been.

When the mother-and-son duo walked the remaining blocks to their townhouse, she noticed her son was much more energetic than usual after a long day of school and homework. Even her own mood had lifted somewhat after the turmoil of the council meeting.

It wasn’t the first foul meeting she’d sat through since assuming her new position. The first few meetings had been nothing short of obnoxious. The political environment of Valla was already polarized between an uproariously dedicated group of founders and another group of residents who had moved into the communities from cities like Nohr and Hoshido. It was a classic example of pro-conservation versus pro-development. The sides already got along like oil and water, and with a new city administrator at the helm, both groups were rallying their troops for upcoming council room battles over everything from economic development to city charter changes.

Weekly salvation came in the form of Saturdays and Sundays.

With the arrival of the weekend, the two could finally spend some much-needed quality time together. Against her will, Corrin had spent the past two weekends in her office to catch up on piles of paperwork and other forms of procedural nonsense. In the few weekends beforehand, she’d been preoccupied with the moving process, and before that, the trials of finalizing her divorce and diving assets.

However, the weeks of relentless toiling had finally produced fruit. She could finally take a full weekend to breathe and relax. No office. No paperwork. No meetings.

It was their first free weekend in their new home.

It was a new beginning, just for the two of them.

When Friday afternoon finally reared its beautiful head, Corrin left work early to pick up Kana from school. The two proceeded to run by the corner market to grab ingredients for dinner, which consisted of homemade pancakes and falling asleep watching cartoons on the chintz couch in their small living room.

The next day, Corrin continued to celebrate the weekend by sleeping past her usual five o’clock alarm. However, thanks to Kana’s boundless energy, she was still awoken at dawn by him soaring into her room and cannonballing onto the vacant side of her queen-sized bed.

After a minute of gentle wrestling, the two spent an hour cuddling while Corrin watched weather channel on the bedroom’s television. The weekend meteorologist wasn’t nearly as fun as the weekday one (Wasn’t his name Cyrus or something? Or Citrus? She couldn’t recall exactly). Either way, it looked like the day before them would be a sunny spring day. Perfect for getting out and exploring their new neighborhood.

After a quick morning routine that consisted of an apricot face scrub and dry shampoo, the two shared an early breakfast in the cozy kitchen before deciding to walk to the playground down the street.

The modest playground down the street from Corrin’s townhouse was crammed between two apartment buildings near an intersection. With graffiti-covered brick walls on three sides and a chain link fence with a door on the other, it wasn’t a picturesque sight, but at least she didn’t need to worry about her little bundle of energy running into the streets. The equipment wasn’t sparkling, but it looked clean enough. That was another nice change in pace from Nohr.

“Okay, honey, go play,” Corrin said fondly as Kana practically zoomed over to the monkey bars. The woman kept a watchful eye on her son as she took a seat on a nearby bench. As the back of her thighs met the cold surface, she was suddenly extra thankful she’d worn her long camel-colored coat. While a morning chill still clung to every surface, the brisk temperature was refreshing. It seemed that spring was on the horizon, which Corrin was thankful for. Warmer weather meant more distractions from work.

It also resulted in an increased amount of festivals and local events that would no doubt need city approval. She was also confident that Valla’s own parks department was already cooking up new ideas as well.

_Fantastic,_ she thought with a sigh.

The woman leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling content and grounded for the first time in a long while.

The sun was shining. The air was crisp. Her son was laughing joyfully a few feet away from her.

Yes, everything would be okay. She’d recited the words to herself over and over again throughout the whole divorce process. Now, they finally felt real. She could almost hear the words in her ears.

Then, words were in her ears.

Not the same ones she’d repeated in her head, but words that were nonetheless welcome.

“Hello there, stranger.”

Corrin didn’t even have to turn around to determine her visitor’s identity.

“Jakob!” she said, turning around to see him leaning against the other side of the chain-link fence. He was grinning at her easily as returned her greeting with a polite nod. It seemed he couldn’t shed some aspects of his polite, restaurant-owner persona even when he was outside of work.

However, she did notice that he was more casually attired than usual. Instead of his harlequin-printed apron, he was donned in a V-neck pullover and a pair of soft, dove-gray slacks. His hair was also loosely braided instead of being pulled back primly like it was when he worked the bakery and bar. Dwyer, who was standing nearby at his father’s side, was similarly bundled in a casual ensemble, including a sweatshirt that bore an unfamiliar logo. At a glance, it looked like it could have been machinery-related. Perhaps it was a piece of merchandise from another local business.

“What are you two doing out?” she asked curiously. Upon closer examination, she saw the two were weight down by quite a few reusable grocery bags. “Oh, were you two—”

Suddenly, Kana’s voice resounded from across the playground.

“Jakob!” he squealed in glee. _“And Dwwwyer!”_

The boy flung himself down the metal slide and bolted toward the fence to greet them.

“Kana, be careful!” Corrin called as she watched her boy shuffle clumsily through the playground mulch. “Don’t run! Oh, dear, he’s running.”

Meanwhile, Dwyer tossed his father a smirk

“He’s more excited to see me than you,” Dwyer teased, bumping his dad’s shoulder as Kana practically barreled into the fence from excitement. This cause both men to immediately sink to their knees to meet the boy eye-to-eye.

Dwyer’s eyes widened as the whole fence swayed from the impact. “Woah, there, Kana.”

“Easy,” Jakob said, brow furrowing slightly. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

Again, he ignored the statement of concern and pressed onward enthusiastically.

“What are you both doing here?” Kana asked, unintentionally parroting his mother and ignoring Jakob’s concern. His small fingers curled eagerly around the metal links in the fence. “Oh! Did you both go shopping?”

“We did,” Dwyer said, flexing his shoulders to the heavy bags could swing to-and-fro showily. “For the bakery, mostly.”

“The local farmer’s market just started this week,” explained Jakob. As if to accentuate his statement, he reached into one of the canvas bags and brandished a large jar of creamed honey. “We try to use locally sourced ingredients as often as we can in our pastries. It might be more expensive up front, but given our store’s size, it beats trying to ship is select amounts of products. We still have to ship some ingredients in from outside suppliers, but honestly? Local ingredients just taste fresher and better.”

Corrin waggled her brows at him. “Are you sure there’s not a little bit of local shop owner solidarity involved in your reasoning?”

“Well, maybe a little of that too,” said Jakob with a light laugh. He pushed some stick-straight strands of hair back behind his ear and eyed her softly through the fence.

While the two continued to chat, Dwyer looked on curiously. He watched with immense intrigue how his father smiled and laughed with Corrin. It was usual to see his dad act so conversational. Like seeing the dark side of the moon.

Their conversation was easy and pleasant, as if they’d known each other their entire lives.

“I don’t know how you resist eating all the delicious ingredients yourself,” Corrin said as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and rocked back on her heels. Today, she’d decided to swap out her usual heels for flat shoes. Yet another weekend perk of the weekend.

“Funny you should say that, because we can’t resist either,” Dwyer chimed in. “We do keep parts of some of our weekly market haul for ourselves. Although, dad does insist on making as many things from scratch as possible. Breads, jams, stocks…”

Jakob’s gaze slowly slid to his son’s face. “I don’t hear complaining, do I?”

“Sir, no sir,” Dwyer said with a salute and a click of his heels. The gesture caused Kana to laugh and Jakob to harrumph.

In a half-hearted form of retaliation against his son’s sarcasm, he returned his attention back to Corrin.

“We actually use some of the products from the market for a brunch every week,” he told her. “It’s sort of a Saturday morning tradition for us during the spring and summer months. Plus, it’s a nice way to welcome the warm weather...”

Then, his eyes lit up as if he was struck with an epiphany.

“Oh, would you and Kana like to join us?” Jakob asked while checking his watch. “We were just heading home. I don’t want to interrupt your day, but since it’s almost lunch time, we’d be happy to have you both.”

“Really?” Kana asked. The boy whirled around to stare at his mom with large, boba-sized eyes. “Can we, Mama?”

The generous offer rendered Corrin speechless for a moment. Truthfully, the two had a particularly sugary and carb-laden breakfast shortly after dawn. The buzz was starting to wear off, and she could feel a telling emptiness in her stomach. A quick check of the time on her phone revealed it was already almost noon, just like he’d said. That shocked Corrin. Had she and Kana really been out that long? It seemed the old adage was true; time really did fly by when one was having fun.

They’d probably have to eat soon anyway, but the last thing she wanted to do was impose.

“That sounds lovely, but are you sure it’s okay?” Corrin asked. After all, she’d just learned that the early-afternoon meal was a weekly window where Jakob and Dwyer were able to spend quality time together without having to worry about school or running a business. Corrin respected that endlessly and wanted to make sure she wasn’t intruding by accepting his invitation.

“I mean, I don’t want to interfere with you two having quality time,” she explained further.

The father and son exchanged brief glances.

“Well, since my dad and I would still be together if the four of us were to have brunch, I don’t think that would be a huge problem,” Dwyer offered with a laidback shrug. “Although, if you want my dad to leave, I think we have enough people for a majority vote.”

Another stern look was dished to the teen.

“No, I want to hang out with Mama, Dwyer and Jakob!” Kana retorted with a whine. He seemed genuinely upset at the idea of not spending time with both of them.

Dwyer reacted with an expression of mock-terror. “What! Kana, are you okay? Did you hurt your head running into the fence?”

Jakob swatted at his son’s shoulder with the back of his hand. Meanwhile, Corrin chewed her lip in worry while considering the offer.

“Are you sure we wouldn’t be a bother?” she finally conceded. “If so, then…yes, that sounds great! We’d love to join you.”

Kana cheered in excitement at her reply and began to twirl about in a merry dance.

“Excellent,” Jakob said. “Oh, it’s not a bother to us at all. If fact, it gives me an excuse to bust out some real treats. Have either of you ever been to a high tea before? I enjoy incorporating some traditional tea time elements to make brunch a little more elegant.”

“High tea?” Kana asked curiously as he reached up to take Corrin’s hand while they walked. “What’s high tea? I’ve only had iced tea.”

Corrin noticed a mischievous sparkle in Jakob’s eyes at Kana’s inquiry. “My boy, we would be happy to introduce you.”

“Oh, _here we go_ ,” Dwyer groaned with a grin he couldn’t completely suppress. He swirled around and walked backward while he explained. “Listen. Dad is ridiculously proud of his Devonshire cream and homemade lemon curd recipe. Both are high tea staples, and yes, those are two things he also refuses to buy from the market. They have to be handmade.”

“I’ve never tried either one,” Corrin confessed as they all joined on the sidewalk and began to stroll down the city sidewalk toward the bustling downtown area. Four sets of footsteps pounded the sidewalk at varying paces as they navigated the narrower streets of townhouses and historic apartment buildings. It was a picture-perfect setting for an elegant brunch. “They both sound delicious though. What do you eat them with? Scones?”

“Always scones,” Jakob said, projecting his voice slightly to remain audible over the escalating sound of car horns and roaring traffic as they advanced further into the winding streets. The Saturday morning crowds were starting to steadily pour in for the afternoon lunch rush.

He continued, “Although, Dwyer and I disagree on the best recipe. I prefer to make more savory scones, but Dwyer insists on making the sweeter variety with fruits. They’re also cut into these little triangle shapes. It might as well be a slice of cake.”

Corrin wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. She though both versions sounded delightful.

“You’ll both have to let us know who whose recipe is better,” Dwyer said cheekily. “You can be our unbiased judges and tell us which you prefer. One might say it’s a Game of Scones.”

While Jakob gave him a sideways look that could have turned anyone weaker than Dwyer to stone, Corrin glanced between the father and son duo walking side by side before her. Despite the light insults they seemed to relish in volleying to each other, the bond of familiarity was strong enough to permeate any illusion of passive-aggressive negativity.

“I’m sure both will be absolutely wonderful.”

* * *

 

When Jakob and Dwyer had mentioned sharing a brunch together, Corrin pictured a perfectly lovely spread of fruit, a few pieces of cold toast, and maybe some jam. Watered down mimosas and powdered eggs also came to mind due to all the awkward brunch-meeting hybrids she’d endured at staff retreats in tacky conference center hotels.

Such was not the case at Jakob’s abode.

Corrin realized she must have never really ‘brunched’ before because the grandiose spread laid before her and Kana was unlike anything she’d seen. The small table in Jakob and Dwyer’s postage stamp-sized kitchen could barely hold the impressive display of pastries, preservatives, and other delicacies.

A Brown Betty teapot was nestled in the center of the table and emitting a rivulet of fragrant steam from its spout. The aroma perfumed the air with a sweet smell reminiscent of an orchard. Sweet, but not saccharine.

“The tea smells heavenly,” Corrin stated as Jakob got to filling each mismatched teacup with a small amount of sweet-smelling concoction.

“It’s a full-flush Darjeeling,” he said while pouring. “Golden in color and naturally sweet. There’s cream and sugar if you need it, but I suspect it won’t be necessary. I also brewed more full-bodied Assam with notes of almond if you’d prefer something that’s a little more…how would you put it? Bracing.”

A smile played upon her lips. While both varietals sounded perfectly lovely to her, she opted to hold on to the cup of Darjeeling in her hands. “I’ll try this one first. The aroma has piqued my curiosity.”

“Wonderful choice.”

“I think I’m going to go with the Assam this time,” Dwyer said as he reached for another teapot decorated with a rosy chintz pattern. “Darjeeling is lovely, but there’s something about black tea the morning that’s too tempting to resist.”

“It’s because you’re absolutely addicted to black coffee,” Jakob replied with a chortle as he continued to waltz around the table.  “Although, black tea is an English breakfast staple that even I enjoy, so I can’t harass you too much.”

“I wonder how long that trend will last,” Dwyer said with an eye roll as he filled his cup with expert poise. Clearly, the skills he’d learned at the café had already garnered him levels of grace that surpassed the average adult, let along teenager.

Not to be deterred by the remark, Jakob rounded the small table and leaned down to meet Kana eye-to-eye.

“Would you like some tea, Kana?” he asked in a genteel fashion that made him look more like a butler than a host.

“Um…do you think I’ll like it?” Kana asked, suddenly softer and shyer than before. Perhaps he was just as wowed by the display as his mother was. “The tea, I mean.”

“If you don’t, I’m certainly happy to get you anything else you might like,” Jakob offered. “I can brew something else, or I have orange juice or milk as well.”

The offer seemed to soften the boy’s nerves. He giggled and said, “I’ll try the tea.”

“Wonderful choice.”

While Jakob and Dwyer set about making sure the table was completely set with slippers of cream and enough silverware to arm a mouse army, Corrin took the opportunity to glance around the apartment they were sitting in. The entire space was the same size at the café down below, and as a result, it was more of a loft than an apartment. The front door opened immediately into a kitchen with a portable television, older appliances, and a window that showed a sliver of the city skyline.

The rest of the space considered of a medium-sized living area with a loveseat and large velvet chair. Corrin also noticed a single PH-lamp was positioned in the far corner of the space. She recognized the distinct piece as one her older brother, Xander, had also purchased for his home. It has cost quite a pretty penny if she recalled correctly.

While there weren’t many pieces of furniture in the apartment, each one was a shining example of quality.

More windows looked out over the city, allowing a plethora of natural light to illuminate the exposed brick walls and dark hardwood floors. On the opposite wall were three doors, all of which were closed tight. She assumed it was two bedrooms and a bathroom.

It was a humble but comfortable space.

“All right,” Jakob said as he finally took his seat after the long bout of preparation. “Everyone, please enjoy.”

The rest of the meal was amply enjoyed, to say the least.

The tea was exquisite and the dishes, both handmade and locally-sourced, were delectable. Corrin ended up eating two of the caprese tea sandwiches and Kana had devoured three whole toffee bars that Dwyer said he was finalizing the recipe on to sell in the café soon. Needless to say, the dessert earned the boy’s stamp of approval.

While the meal was full of pleasant conversation and easy banter, neither father or son had forgotten to ask Corrin and Kana to sample their scones.

Jakob’s scones were rounded and flavored with maple and fresh walnuts. Dwyer’s version featured orange zest and a glaze with a dash of cinnamon-infused sugar. They were also triangular in shape and crumbly in texture. In short, Jakob’s combination was distinctly traditional bordering on purist and Dwyer’s was more contemporary, as indicated by the shape and flavors.

Throughout the meal, both Corrin and Kana had taken one of each and tasted them. Due to the unique flavors of each pastry, Corrin personally chose to adorn Jakob’s with the almond-flavored Devonshire cream and dressed Dwyer’s more springy concoction with the fresh lemon curd. Kana even dipped pieces of both scones in his Darjeeling tea, which seemed to delight Jakob and Dwyer alike.

As the meal began to wind down, the sugar from all the desserts and pastries was making the wide-eyed boy antsy. While Jakob and Corrin talked over the table, Kana’s eyes roved about the space anxiously, as if searching for something to focus on.

The teen was also feeling a little bored of the table conversation. In fact, he was even a little sleepy after enjoying a full meal with comforting tea. When Dwyer noticed how fidgety Kana was, he decided to pose an alternative that would rescue them both.

“Hey, Kana, do you want to play some video games for a bit?” he asked casually.

The question instantly pulled Kana’s attention toward him. “Really?”

 “Yeah, I have a console in my room,” he said with a lopsided grin. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling stuffed. I think it might be nice to just hang out and relax for a bit. What do you say?”

Before he could open his mouth and instantly agree, he swiveled his head to Corrin and looked at her anxiously. “Can I hang out with Dwyer a little bit more, Mama? Please?”

Although he was giving her his biggest puppy dog eyes, she could also see that her son sincerely wanted to stay. Of course she had no reason to stop him, but before she immediately granted him permission, she looked to Jakob to see if he was okay with having company for a little longer. It was his apartment, after all, and she didn’t know if he had anything else pressing on his schedule.

Jakob locked eyes with her over the rim of his teacup and gave her a soft wink before taking a long sip. He mouthed out the words, “Fine by me.”

Then it was settled.

“I think that sounds great,” she said, and Kana practically bounded out of his chair a millisecond later. Dwyer laughed and ambled after the energetic boy. The two started toward the door at the far end of the apartment, closest to the wall.

She watched them both with a smile. As both boys got up from the table, she eyes Jakob from across the table. “Hey. You know, you never did ask.”

When Jakob blinked curiously, she lifted her crumb-dusted plate in response. “The scones. You never did ask me to pick a favorite.”

He bit his lip to conceal a smirk. “Um, well. There might be a reason for that.”

The statement intrigued Corrin immensely. She quirked one of her moon-colored brows quizzically. Such blatant curiosity prompted him to rise from his seat to produce a take-away box from the fridge. It was similar to the disposable clamshell he’d used to package the apple tartes he’d given to her after their last impromptu visit. He flipped the top to reveal that it was packed with both sweet and savory scones alike. Both flavors from their brunch, along with a few other varieties, mingled in a fragrant array within.

“I figured I’d send you both home with a box of everything we had,” he confessed with a shrug. The gesture made the hem of his V-neck creep along his shoulders, almost giving him a meek appearance for a blip in time. “Just to be safe. After all, you were both kind enough to join us, so I didn’t want you and Kana to leave empty-handed…so I just packed you a couple of each. That way, even if you didn’t have a favorite…you had something to take away regardless.”

Humbled immensely, Corrin sighed and shook her head. Jakob was proving to have a heart of gold. Gold encased in layers of stone, but gold, nonetheless. Plenty valuable for her to keep mining.

“I think…I’m already hungry for seconds,” Corrin replied carefully. “In fact, why don’t we grab a few of those and chat a little more?”

* * *

 

“Woah, this is your room?”

Kana walked into the foreign space slowly while simultaneously turning in circles. Dwyer’s bedroom was pretty average. He had solid-colored bedsheets with matching curtains, a couple of knick-knacks, a desk topped with notebooks and other study materials, and a dark-wood bookshelf that looked like an antique.

“It’s so…grown-up,” Kana said as he turned back to Dwyer.

“Grown-up, huh?” Dwyer asked as he stuffed his hands into the pocket of his pullover. He surveyed his room again, trying to put himself in the boy’s shoes so he could see whatever he saw that might have elicited such intriguing adjective like ‘grown-up.’ Alas, he came up empty. Instead, he chuckled and said, “You’re funny, Kana.”

The boy’s brow puckered in confusion, but Dwyer just shook his head. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

While the vagueness did confuse Kana, his attention span was pulled away from the teen by a piece of furniture he’d yet to notice on his first viewing. Right next to the door was a boxy television that was as fat as a cardboard box. Nestled beneath the heavy box was a large, slightly dusty gaming console.

“Woah!” Kana said loudly as he bent down to survey the strange-looking contraption. “It’s so big! Wait, I haven’t seen this one before. Is it old?”

Dwyer laughed dryly at the accidental jab.

“It’s older, but it still works,” he offered with a grin. The teen folded his long legs beneath him as he sank down onto the ground beside Kana. “Well, wanna play a bit?”

“Yeah!” the boy said with an enthusiastic nod.

“Cool, I’ll pick out a game for us,” Dwyer said as he turned back to the shelf. All the spines of his modest assortment were lined up neatly before him. 

Almost immediately, he felt Kana’s excited gaze burning two holes in the back of his head.

The sudden pressure suddenly made him alert of how small his collection was…and how suddenly unsure he was that he had anything Kana would find fun.

He thumbed through his collection, desperate to find something age-appropriate that would work. He definitely didn’t want to piss off Kana’s mother by accidentally traumatizing him with something violent.

The first game he pulled from the shelf was an RPG about an unnamed protagonist moving to a countryside town, making new friends with a fun cast of classmates…and solving a serial murder case where corpses were strung up on telephone poles.

Yeah, no.

Besides, a turn-based, strategic game with a heavy story component also didn’t seem like something a kid Kana’s age would enjoy anyway. Maybe they could play it in the future.

Nervously, Dwyer pressed onward.

The next game was an action-adventure game where the main character and his faithful equine companion rode across vast planes slaying monsters. It sounded typical enough…except for the fact that each monster was a colossal beast that squealed and spewed bodily fluids while the player navigated their bodies to strategically injure their weak points.

Dwyer remembered fearing some of the monsters as a kid, resulting in him asking his dad to beat them for him. Oddly enough, his father was pretty good a game that required pinpointing and exploiting specific weaknesses.

Go figure.

He slid the game back in its slot. It was still too possibly scary to be worth the risk.

The next game was a sandbox first-person-shooter—nope. Moving on.

The next game was a hack-and-slash—also nope.

The game after that was a horror game about a guy who returned to a creepy town after receiving a mysterious letter from his dead wife—also a definite nope.

Finally, he reached a somewhat reasonable option. It was a cute, colorful game where a little sprite explored a fantastical world everything in sight into a massive ball. It was a game that was easy to learn but difficult to master.

It was also his favorite game to play with his girlfriend specifically because of its quirky appeal. Even Sophie, a motorcycle-loving jock, had spent dozens of hours trading the controller with him to try to create the most massive, zany structures possible.

“You’ll like this one, Kana,” Dwyer promised as he popped the disk out of the box and slipped in into the retractable tray.

He handed the boy a controller and sat back casually against his bed. Kana watched him assume his casual position with a note of puzzlement. “You’re not gonna play?”

“We’ll trade off instead,” Dwyer said with a wink. “That way we can be on the same team, you know?”

Kana’s eyes lit up at the phrase. _‘The same team.’_

He really liked the sound of that. There was something so familial about it. Something so…brotherly.

“Let’s do it!”

* * *

 

In the kitchen, Corrin sat at the table and sipped some of the Assam tea. She’d quite enjoyed the Darjeeling from earlier in the morning and had been eager to try a stronger brew as well. Perhaps it was her affinity for dark beers, but Corrins seemed to enjoy the dark concoction even more. A half-eaten tea sandwich rested a few feet away, but she’d become distracted from her with food by a basketball game that was playing on the apartment’s television. The two had decided to put the game on as background noise while their sons went off to play video games in another room.

As the game had intensified, their chatter had slowly waned into a comfortable silence as they focused on watching the television intently. Just as one of the purple-and-green players went for a dunk, another swept their arm across their torso and knocked them to the ground with a cranium-buzzing thump.

“What!” Corrin shrieked. “Oh, that’s a foul!”

“Terrible,” Jakob harped sympathetically. He was just as focused on the game as she was. “They have to call that.”

A few seconds of silence passed before Corrin sighed in disgust. “The referee doesn’t feel the same. They’re not going to call it.”

“No way.”

“Way.”

Both groaned and slinked away from the television. Corrin slid back into her seat while Jakob gathered some of the abandoned dishes to pile in the sink. Resigned to the inevitable loss of their home team, the volume on the television was also muted out of protest.

“Tell me a little more about yourself,” Corrin prompted as she took another long sip of the brisk-tasting tea. So, so good.

“Hm?” he asked, lifting his head curiously while he ran a stack of dirtied plated to the farmhouse sink near the window. “Me? There’s not much to say.”

“Oh, yes there is,” she objected quickly. “No offense, but you seem like the kind of guy who might have a hard time talking about himself…and that kind of makes me even more curious.”

Despite himself, he laughed. That was something Jakob could fully admit he was terrible at. Talking about himself.

“Hm, talk about myself, huh?” he said, his fingertip drawing patterns in the scratched countertop. His eyes searched for something to focus on that wasn’t Corrin’s smiling face, which was admittedly difficult to avert his attention from. “I don’t know. It’s hard to know what to say. Or, where to start.”

“I’ll share my own stuff, if that helps,” Corrin urged.

“You mean you have hobbies outside of being a city administrator?” Jakob joked as he abandoned his post at the sink to slide back into the chair across from her. The comment earned him a light smack on the shoulder.

“Hm, let’s see, where to start?” she started, not deterred at all by his playful jab. “I like coffee a lot, but tea is good too. I like hiking, but I hate jogging. I know it’s dorky, but I also like crosswords. It’s the one reason I still haven’t switched my newspaper subscription to online-only.”

That, and now she knew a reporter for the local paper. That was another motivating factor.

Jakob chuckled. “That’s cute.”

Another smack.

“Um, what else?” she pondered briefly. Her nails tapped rhythmically atop the counter.

“Do you have a favorite dessert?” Jakob offered. Given his occupation, learning people’s favorite foods was always on his mind when chatting with new acquaintances.

“Petit fours,” she admitted. “Strawberry champagne is my favorite flavor. I also love sugar cookies. They’re easy to make and eat, so we eat a lot of them in our house. As for Kana, he likes cookie dough.”

“Cookie dough petit fours?”

“No, just cookie dough. In any form except ‘petit.’”

Jakob stifled a laugh. “Excellent choices, both of you. Now, I have a more dangerous question. What’s your favorite dessert or candy that you love but _everyone_ else hates?”

Now things were getting interesting.

At first, Corrin pursed her lips in reluctance and gave him a coy smile. After rolling her eyes thoughtfully and rolling the notion around in her brain she finally shrugged and relented. She leaned closer to him and whispered, “Peanut butter taffy. The kind the comes in the orange and black wrappers.”

“Gross,” he said, completely deadpan.

Corrin guffawed loudly at his response. Tossing her head back, she peered at him with challenging eyes. “Well, okay, Mr. Gourmet. What’s your amazing answer?”

“Black licorice,” he answered with a knowing smirk.

Corrin returned his smile with a bemused stare. _“Disgusting.”_

Laughter arced between the pair like an electrical current. Chairs creaked and china clattered as they dissolved into fits of giggles. The two serious parents suddenly looked like happy-go-lucky teenagers without a care in the world.

For a moment, Corrin swore she actually felt like one. It was refreshing.

“What about you?” shed piped up curiously. “What are you and Dwyer’s favorite, non-gross desserts?”

“Hm, now that’s a trickier question to answer,” said Jakob as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. His severe posture to such a simple question was nothing short of comical, yet still strangely appropriate.

A thoughtful sigh escaped him. “Anything with fresh fruit, really. More so cold tartes as opposed to cobbler or crumbles. As for Dwyer, he’ll never admit this, but he loves yellow icebox cake.”

“Really?” she asked, sincerely surprised. It seemed that even Dwyer’s incredible culinary talent didn’t spare him from simple favorites.

“Yellow cake and chocolate frosting with rainbow sprinkles,” Jakob recited. “Ever since he was a young boy. He’ll say he loves chocolate-covered coffee beans, and he does, but that’s more of a snack than a dessert. I still make him a huge icebox cake for his birthday every year and he _devours_ it.”

“That’s adorable,” Corrin said, and she meant it. “I have to tell you. Dwyer seems like such a good kid. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but Kana seems to have really taken a shine to him. He must have really made a positive impression on him.”

The comment lured a fond grin to his face.

“He really is,” Jakob replied almost dotingly. “Especially considering all he’s been through. Life hasn’t been easy, but he’s really been a model boy throughout it all.”

Sensing a slight shift in mood, Corrin reached out to touch Jakob’s arm. “It sounds like two have been through a lot together.”

Hell, she knew they had. It didn’t take a genius to piece together context clues of why an unusually young father was raising his teenage boy singlehandedly.

Jakob shook his head. “We spent so much time apart while I was trying to get the divorce in order and find a job. We…sort of grew up as strangers. Sometimes I’m still too hard on him, and yet, he’s an already become a responsible and wonderful young man despite all that. I’m amazed by him every day.”

Tears almost sprang to Corrin’s eyes at the intimate statement.

“Well, I’m sure you know what it’s like,” Jakob said as he slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. “About being a single parent, I mean.”

Boy did she ever.

“I do,” she admitted tenderly. Almost sadly.

He offered her an appreciative glance, eyes crinkling at the edges as the traces of a grin came to fruition.

“You know what you said about Dwyer being a good kid?” Jakob asked her. “I could say the same about Kana.”

“Really?” she asked, perking up even more. “I hope so. Honestly, I think he’s more resilient than I am.”

Curiosity made his brow furrow. “How so?”

 “Well, these past few months have been so tedious, we’ve barely had time for each other,” she said plaintively. “Now, we’re having brunch and he’s having fun with a new friend. It’s such a welcome change.”

Jakob seemed to mull over her words for a moment before responding. “I think I understand. It’s like, finally, the storm has passed.”

An affirmative nod from her prompted him to continue his analogy. “There might still be thunder on the horizon, but for the most part, things have simmered down and you’re surveying the damage. Everything is…okay.”

“Yes, everything feels okay,” she agreed with a nod so firm that the motion pushed her chin against her chest and, for a moment, she just let it rest there while she gathered her thoughts. “Every day with him is an experience. Sometimes it’s just going to a spontaneous movie after school or visiting to a new ice cream place together. Sometimes it’s an impromptu fashion show in my bedroom with some of my old clothes. It may not be a big deal to some people, but for Kana and It…it’s kind of brand new for us. I love it.”

Her words rendered him speechless for a moment.

“That’s…very sweet,” Jakob said, and he meant it.

For a few seconds, the two sat in contemplative silence, still linked at the arms to each other from across the tiny table. The faint sound of city traffic and muffled video game sound effects from beyond Dwyer’s bedroom were the only noises in the entire flat.

Finally, Corrin took in a loud breath and sighed.

“…Look at us,” she laughed while swaying her head gently from side to side. The gentle motion made her curls sway like swingy pendulums across her shoulders. “We’d rather talk out kids than ourselves.”

Jakob worried his lower lip guiltily with his teeth and reached for his tea. “Well, we’re parents.”

“Parents who happen to be very uninteresting and boring people, apparently,” she reasoned with a slight wince. Although the statement was supposed to be apologetic, her tone didn’t sound the least bit sorry.

In response, Jakob polished off his beverage with one last gulp and lifted his teacup skyward and over his head.

“Guilty as charged,” he said.

His tone was sarcastic but warm. It seemed that Jakob was the type of individual that didn’t mince words, but when he chose to sneak in a comment, it was always a treat.

“I’m sorry, I think I got us sidetracked,” she confessed. “We were trying to have a normal conversation about our likes and dislikes, but I’m afraid we’ve ventured into some pretty serious topics for a Saturday morning breakfast.”

“Oh please,” Jakob said her with a wave of his hand. The gesture was meant to wave away any sense of misplaced guilt she may have felt. “Don’t worry about it. Truth be told, I greatly enjoyed our conversation just now. It seems we have even more in common with each other than I thought.”

It was quite the happy coincidence, Corrin thought.

“Okay, let me think,” Jakob said, tapping his fingers against the counter in thought. He ‘hmmm’ed and ‘ummm’ed before finally drumming up an answer. “My likes, right? Well, I suppose I relish in organizing things. Cooking too, of course, and I also enjoy housework.”

“Housework?” she asked with wide eyes. “Wow, really? That’s very mature.”

“It’s not for the reason you think,” Jakob half-sighed. “Truth be told, I enjoy it because it’s rewarding at the end of the day. Dwyer works so hard at school and at the café, even though he doesn’t have to. The least I can do is make sure he comes back to a clean house.”

“…Wow,” Corrin replied, almost stunned beyond words. “You’re one of the good ones, Jakob. More people should be like you.”

Jakob lifted a brow. Be like what? A decent person?

For a moment, Jakob tried to put himself in Corrin’s shoes. He tried to imagine a reality where it was a deemed a ‘plus’ for someone to show basic desire to care for their own child and to maintain household cleanliness.

It spoke leaps and bounds about how her previous spouse had treated her.

“Well, I have one more activity to confess that I enjoy,” he said.

“Really?” she asked, intrigued.

“Yes. Talking to you.”

If the silence had been notable before, his statement suddenly made it deafen. Her heart pounded in her chest, and before she knew it, she was leaning over the table on her elbows.

“Okay, now I get to ask a question,” she said, chewing her lip a bit, “Was this just a really nice brunch, or am I the only one getting their hopes up that this was a date?”

Jakob’s eyes snapped open, but his smile didn’t falter. In fact, it broadened by a few inches.

“If you want it to be, I certainly wouldn’t mind,” he answered slowly, borderline cautiously. Apprehension caused his voice to stutter a bit, but his gaze and expression glowed with fondness.

“Good,” she replied simply, and Jakob’s heart stuttered in his chest from excitement. “Though, I’d like to have a real date with you soon. A planned one. It doesn’t have to include brunch either.”

He hummed in thought.

“I don’t mind providing food,” Jakob laughed. “Besides, how else will I get you to stick around if I don’t provide baked goods and warm tea?”

Corrin swung playfully in her seat to bump their knees together.

“Maybe I just enjoy the company.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, So, it’s been a while. And you, lovely reader, made it here! I can’t thank you enough for sticking with me. People like you inspire me to keep moving forward. I treasure you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.  
> To celebrate this new chapter, let’s spend some extra time together (You comfy? Need anything? A drink? Banana chips? Some funfetti cupcakes?) and unpack a few things together. 
> 
> So, Jakob’s scones are inspired by traditional British recipes. Dwyer makes the American version of scones. I’m not really a scone/cake person, but I’m kind of in Corrin’s corner. Both are good in different ways.   
> The console in Dwyer’s room is definitely a PS2. I didn’t grow up with one because of how much they cost when they were new. I’m sure some of the games are easy to guess.   
> Sooo…which basketball team wears green and purple? Well, it’s not a WNBA or NBA team and it’s not a collegiate team (the SLU Billikens are my go-to, although I will accept Villanova in a pinch because they’re so fun to watch). The uniforms are inspired by STL Surge, a rad WBCBL team. If you’re local, go to a game. 
> 
> Basketball and video games aside (for now), I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> Please feel free to chat with me on Tumblr (romeo-and-antoinette) or Twitter (Ro_tothe_Meo). The Jokamu ship has such a wonderful community of writers and artists, and I’d love to meet and chat with even more of you guys.  
> I’m sending you all hugs and kisses! See you soon! I promise this time.


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